What motivates beginning farmers?

A team of Michigan State University Extension educators from the Upper Peninsula conducted a project to explore what makes beginning farmers successful.

The project consisted of a series of eight interviews with farmers of different types and sizes across the region. Participants had from one to 15 years of farming experience. Two Upper Peninsula organizations that purchase local farm products and sell them retail to the public were also interviewed. Funding for travel was provided by the Michigan SARE Professional Development Program. The project was designed and conducted following the guidelines of the MSU Institutional Review Board, which assures that research involving human subjects does not cause damage to anyone participating. Interviews were completed in May and June of 2013.

Goals of the project were to gain better understanding of how farming has impacted newer operators in the areas of economics, family relationships, community involvement and general lifestyle. After gathering input from the farmers and organizations, responses were summarized and common themes were identified.

Future challenges include increased requirement for labor and finances, and more complex business management tasks.

Future opportunities include expanding the farm business, adding new enterprises and entering new markets.

One of the most common observations during this project was that the enthusiasm participating farmers have about their businesses and how much they love the lifestyle of farming. Participants were asked to rate three “factors of success” on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest), with the following results:

Economic success of my farm – average rating 5.1

Lifestyle benefits from my farming operation – average rating 8.6

Enhancement of community involvement – average rating 5.4

Among the farmers interviewed, the lifestyle provided by farming is highly important and satisfying. It’s not all about the money.